


acrobatic blood

by shibutanis



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: M/M, Unrealized Feelings, budding friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-22 00:40:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14297022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shibutanis/pseuds/shibutanis
Summary: It starts out tentative, a friendship based on halting conversations and Google Translate and nervous laughter. Nathan doesn't know when it shifts into something more.





	acrobatic blood

**Author's Note:**

> i thought to myself aw these two would be such cute friends, and then a part of my brain was like "but.... what if they fall in love ?"
> 
> title from a fave arctic monkeys song
> 
> enjoy

The free skate was over. Nathan inhaled deeply, and blew out a breath.

He did what he had to do.

He wasn’t going to be on the podium, but surprisingly that thought only gave him relief when it came into his mind. He couldn’t fixate on the medals anymore; all that mattered was he completed his Olympic run for 2018. His catharsis was hitting the ice and carving out his anger, throwing in one more quad for the hell of it, figuratively giving the finger to basically everyone who had a part in the “Let’s All Collectively Kick Nathan While He’s Down” game as he put his all in the free skate for self-redemption.

He knew that the podium wasn’t achievable with his short program, and he regarded the top three with a sense of resigned, yet placid acceptance. Javier deserved it, Shoma deserved it, and Yuzuru _definitely_ deserved it.

People were getting ready to file out of the arena, and Nathan quickly glanced at where they were congregating. After looking back at his team, he slipped through the seats, past the smattering of skaters and coaches and spectators still lingering around, to make his way to his fellow competitors. 

“H-hey.” He raised a hand in greeting, as Yuzuru beamed at him, Javier smiled at him, and Shoma bewilderedly regarded him. “Just wanted to come by to congratulate you all. Um, you guys were really amazing.”

“Thank you!” Yuzuru chirped, and Javier echoed him, dimples on full display as he grinned easily. Shoma continued to stare at him, the only form of acknowledgment of Nathan’s words being a slight incline of his head. “You do well on the ice today, Nathan.”

Nathan ducked his head, laughing nervously. “Uh— thanks. I tried my best.”

“Good job, kiddo,” Javier said. “I actually need to head back right now, but hopefully we’ll see each other again during the ceremony?”

“Yeah, definitely,” he said, and Javier raised a hand in farewell as he walked away. 

“Ah, I need to talk about… thing with him. Javi, wait up!” Yuzuru called after him, and patted Shoma on the shoulder, saying something in Japanese before leaving them both, bounding after Javier. Shoma looked slightly stricken, and opened his mouth to say something in return, but Yuzuru was already gone, his bright laugh audible even as it faded with his steps. 

“Uh,” Nathan started, nervously drumming his fingers on his thigh, before lifting up his hand in a jerky, almost aborted wave. “Hi.”

Shoma laughed, a short awkward sound. “Hello.”

They lapsed back into silence, eyes looking anywhere but each other, and Nathan cursed at himself for letting the awkwardness linger in the air for too long. It's not that he didn't want to talk. But along with not knowing what to say, and attempting to communicate with Shoma so he could at least understand the basis of what Nathan was saying, Nathan was floundering for words. As usual.

He couldn’t help but let his gaze stray to the deep vee of Shoma’s costume. It was, to put it simply, a lovely costume. Nathan quite liked the dark blue that was richly accentuated by the gold threading around the shoulders and stiff collar that trailed down the front of the shirt. It was regal, and reminded Nathan of the evening sky.

“I like the color on you,” he said, and Shoma’s head whipped up, his eyes wide.

“S-sorry?”

“I said, um, I like this color. It looks good on you,” Nathan repeated, careful to not slur his words so Shoma could hear him clearly. 

He could see Shoma’s eyebrows furrow under his fringe of hair, and just as quickly as it came, it disappeared, smoothed out in half a second.

“Oh. Thank you.” Shoma dipped his head in acknowledgement. “You… look handsome with black.”

 Nathan laughed awkwardly, and looked down at his skates. “Thanks, dude.”

“Nathan!” Adam’s gloved hand waved frantically in the air, signaling for the him to join the team. 

He turned back to Shoma apologetically. “I gotta go. Catch you around?”

Shoma nodded slowly after processing his statement, and Nathan cursed inwardly at forgetting to speak slowly and clearly for him to comprehend.

“Yes. We meet later.” He ducked into a quick bow and Nathan mirrored the movement, slightly jerky and awkward compared to Shoma’s fluid motion, and jogged to where the rest of his team was huddled, ready to head back to the Village.

-∆- 

“What did he want?”

Shoma shrugged at Satoko. “He just came over to talk, offer congratulations.”

“Ah.” Satoko nonchalantly. “Interesting.”

Shoma looked at her suspiciously. “Why do you sound like that?” 

She blinked at him. “Like what?”

“Like— all weird.” 

She quirked up an eyebrow. “You’re imagining things.”

Shoma sighed in exasperation and shook his head, and they both headed back to the rest of the team, to travel back to the Village. 

Just across the arena, a head sans curly hair turned to watch them leave. 

Nathan gazed at the departing orange backs of Team Japan, and only tore his gaze away when Adam yelled at him to keep up with the rest of them.

“Nathan! Don’t tell me you wanna be near the ice when we could be heading back to get some sleep.”

“Coming,” he called back, and with one last look, hurried after them.

Belatedly he realized that there wouldn't be a way to actually communicate with Shoma-- or the others. He forgot to get Shoma's number.

Dammit.

**Author's Note:**

> comments/kudos always welcome!
> 
> find me on tumblr [@nathcnchen](https://nathcnchen.tumblr.com/) to yell abt figure skaters and whatnot


End file.
